Using electronic devices, a user may view images of real or artificial three-dimensional objects. For example, a user surfing the Internet can view images of products available for purchase. As another example, a user of a graphic application (e.g., a CAD application) may create three-dimensional objects.
To view different perspectives of the three-dimensional objects, existing electronic devices may require the user to perform manipulations using input mechanisms, such as arrow keys or letter keys on a keyboard, mouse clicks and mouse movements, or combinations of inputs using different input mechanisms. For example, the user may provide a particular input device sequence to cause a displayed object to pan or rotate.
While this approach for viewing three-dimensional objects may be functional, it is hardly intuitive and may even be frustrating for new users, as they discover and learn the input device sequences used for each manipulation of the object. Furthermore, objects displayed on the electronic device screen may lack realism, because the electronic device cannot know the user's environment from which the object is being viewed.